February 20, 2005

Jack Vettriano

An article on Jack Vettriano on BBC. I found this by way of taking an online course on Modern and Contemporary Art at the Tate Modern. This particular lesson, focusing on value, raises the question of Jack Vettriano's art in the U.K. One of the most popular contemporary painters, Vettriano's work is not exhibited in any galleries. His work is scorned by art critics as "reductive" and "escapist." What is interesting to me is the way that the critics discuss his images in terms of its value based on its "narrative structure."

The biggest complaint lodged against his art is that it can be "consumed in a glance." What is interesting is that the narrative emphasis in visual art is usually devalued for it's *inability* to be consumed at a glance. Essentially, Vittriano's art is being sucked into the illustration/illumination debate. What devalues his work is that it is trying too hard to be like language.

The public, on the other hand, responds favorably to his work. In fact, his prints sell faster than Monet in the UK.

As far as the Tate online course goes, I'm really intersted in the interface. It is clean and easy to follow. It encourages frequent feedback and reflection. I think I may have found a model that is useful for teaching with images.